Pride in hometown hero is secret to longevity of annual John Basilone Parade

Jerry McCrea/The Star-LedgerDonald Basilone, brother of John Basilone, rides along with members of the Basilone family during the 2011parade.

RARITAN — Now entering its fourth decade, the John Basilone Parade in Raritan has seen few major changes over the years.

There are still concerts featuring the U.S. Marine band the day before the parade, and the parade route still follows Somerset Street in the heart of town toward Basilone’s statue at the end of the road.

In fact, the biggest alteration came in the 1980s when poor weather prompted a rescheduling of the event from November, around Basilone’s birthday, to the end of September.

It’s a ritual that’s become engrained in the culture of the small borough. Don’t expect any big changes in the near future.

"If it ain’t broke, why fix it?" said John Pacifico, organizer of the annual celebration.

The John Basilone parade, the largest event in the nation honoring Raritan’s hometown World War II hero, returns for its 31st year Sunday in nearly the same form it had last year.

The festivities begin with a swing band concert at 7 p.m. Friday at the John Basilone statue at Canal Street, and they continue into Saturday with 5k and 1k runs and the two Marine band concerts. The celebration climaxes Sunday with the parade at 1 p.m. and a ceremony at the Basilone statue.

View full sizeJerry McCrea/The Star-LedgerThe statue of John Basilone, the local war hero and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, stands in his hometown of Raritan Borough in Somerset County.

The grand marshal this year is designated as Dominic Porcaro, a Raritan native who served in the Navy during World War II. Porcaro, who died in July, will be represented by his family.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be a few tweaks. The fireworks seen last year will be missing next weekend because of low funds, and some people associated with the parade have been calling more fundraising events for the parade.

But to Pacifico, a drastic shake-up of the event is unthinkable.

"We try to keep it the same way each year, and people come out," he said.

The strategy appears to be working. About 6,000 people turn out for the event, and roughly 150 military units take part in the parade.

Raritan Mayor Jo-Ann Liptak said it even draws attendees from as far as Pittsburgh, and actor John Seda, who portrayed Basilone in the HBO miniseries "The Pacific," is expected to return for a third straight year.

The secret of the parade’s longevity, organizers believe, is the pride Raritan feels about its legendary hometown hero.

Basilone gained nationwide fame during World War II after leading more than a dozen gunners against thousands of Japanese soldiers at Guadalcanal in 1942. He was killed in action at Iwo Jima in 1945, and became the only enlisted Marine during the war to receive the Medal of Honor, Navy Cross and the Purple Heart. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

His war heroics were so larger than life they still resonate in Raritan decades later.

"The first thing I heard about Raritan was the John Basilone parade," said Geiner "Feliz" Bermubez, owner of Justin’s Pizza, who moved to the borough just three years ago. "Everybody here knows about him."